Stackable, thin-walled containers

ABSTRACT

A liquid container for a comestible product such as milk or juice includes a base having a substantially planar region, a top surface having a substantially planar region parallel to the substantially planar region of the base and having a pour spout. A sidewall is integrally formed with and extends between the base and top surface, and includes a structural load distributing feature that transfers loads from the top surface to the base. A handle is interposed between the base and top surface and integrally formed with the base, top surface, and sidewall. The containers can be arrayed into units and stacked on top of one another. A first flexible material such as a shrink wrap holds the individual containers together and a second flexible material maintains the stacked array of containers together so that cases that typically hold the containers can be eliminated.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. provisionalapplication Serial No. 60/052,775, filed Jul. 1, 1997.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] The present invention relates generally to receptacles andcontainer structures. Specifically, the invention relates to molded,thin-walled containers that are capable of being stacked upon oneanother for storage and shipping purposes. For the purpose ofclarification, caseless shipping is the ability to deliver products in ashipping container which requires no returnable, disposable, orreplaceable cases.

[0003] To develop the concept of thin-walled containers an exemplarycontainer will be used to reference thin-walled containers and establisha working definition that can be described, for example, as a ratio ofthe amount of plastic resin required to make a container relative to theamount of product capable of being transported in the container. Toillustrate the concept, an industry standard gallon milk containershould be used as the reference container for the development of theconcept. Typical bottle weights for this container range from 90 grams(at the time the bottle was first introduced back in 1952) to 56 to 60grams (as manufacturing technology progressed to today's standards).

[0004] In the field of art relating to the shipping and storage of bulkfood products including milk and beverages, plastic molded containersare used to contain the products for transport, distribution, andultimately for dispensing by consumers. Known containers usually takethe form of blow-molded, one-piece plastic containers. The pour openingdefines the uppermost wall or surface of the container and is generallylocated at the center of the container. A tapering region extendsdownwardly from the pour spout merging with four sidewalls that aredisposed in substantially perpendicular relation relative to oneanother. A handle is integrally molded in the container and has agenerally inverted L-shape. A first leg of the handle extends generallyhorizontally from the tapering region and a second leg of the handleextends generally vertically, merging with a sidewall junction of thecontainer just above a base.

[0005] These containers are typically stored and shipped in some form ofshipping case; consequently, these containers have been designed withlittle regard to the structural loading, stackability, and efficientpackaging during transport. Unitized cases contain between four to sixcontainers and take several different forms such as wire or plasticcases, corrugated boxes, or corrugated materials which providestructural support to the individual containers during shipping. Theseunitized cases are shown in FIGS. 1A (corrugated boxes) and 1B (plasticcases).

[0006] FIGS. 2A-2C illustrate several delivery mechanisms which arecapable of shipping a large number of full containers which may or maynot be unitized in cases. A brief description of the above shippingmechanisms will assist in further defining the principle of thin-walled,caseless shipping. Pallets (FIG. 2A) that support stackable cases arethe most widespread form of shipping product for the retail or foodservice industry and the cases are the only returnable, reusableshipping mechanism considered by the industry. Bossies (FIG. 2B) anddollies (FIG. 2C) are primarily utilized by the dairy industry and areconsidered large, mechanical cases. There is a large cost associatedwith bossies and dollies since they have to be returned, cleaned, andreused in a similar fashion as the pallet cases.

[0007] For further discussion, the caseless concept will be defined onthe pallet shipping mechanism as described below.

[0008] Cases can be stacked on pallets in several differentconfigurations based on the pallet footprint. Typical pallets will haveapproximately two-hundred to two-hundred-fifty containers shipped onthem and will be stacked from four to six cases high depending on thepallet size. The forces associated with these cases is evident from aconsideration of the weight of a three liter milk container that isapproximately six to seven pounds (or approximately eight and one-halfpounds per gallon). The structure and strength of these cases make themideal for stacking thin-walled containers that carry a dense product,however, their use has been problematic. The actual case costs arerelatively inexpensive and are intended to be reused with a typical lifeof two years; however, the cases are often misappropriated by vandals orthieves for use in other applications, i.e., as storage containers fordifferent articles. The cost associated with cases really occurs at themanufacturing facility and during distribution.

[0009] To understand the impact of caseless shipping in manufacturingfacilities using cases, it is important that an appreciation of thecurrent method for casing product be attained. The majority of the dairyindustry uses plastic cases to some significant measure if they do notuse them exclusively. The basic cycle of a case is as follows:

[0010] Cases are purchased for a price of approximately $2.00 (sixteenquart case) and are entered into the already large inventory of cases onan as needed basis. Even in the best operations, this replenishmentprocess is driven by damage, new business, theft, customer accumulation,etc. In some instances, this replacement initiative is quite extensiveand demands a significant portion of management time in order tomaintain control of the case supply.

[0011] During a typical production day, cases must be continually fed tothe facility as product is produced. This requires several peoplededicated to move and unload trailers of empty cases as they return fromthe routes and one person dedicated to ensure that a continual supply ofcases are maintained during production hours. In addition, large,covered areas are needed to house empty cases which requires maintenanceand upkeep. Inventory costs associated with these cases need to beconsidered and can be rather extensive based on the size of the dairy.FIGS. 3 and 4 illustrate some of the space requirements associated withcases.

[0012] After the cases are unloaded and start through the productionprocess, the cases must be destacked in the proper orientation to beprepped for container filling. FIGS. 5A and 5B illustrate a typicaldestacker system. The maintenance fees for this system have a percentageimpact on the cost of goods. Continual supervision is required to ensurethe destacker does not jam or prevent cases from flowing to the nextpre-production stage.

[0013] Cases are then moved to the case cleaning system in whichextremely caustic cleansers wash and clean the cases prior to containerfilling. The cleansers affect cost to the system by increasing sewerbills, replacement and maintenance of the equipment and expensivecleansers. FIG. 6 illustrates typical case washing equipment.

[0014] The cases are then conveyed to the filling process. The cases areloaded through automatic casing equipment and combined into stacks offive or six case heights. These stacks are conveyed into refrigeratedareas where they are placed into storage positions for later retrievalas illustrated in FIGS. 7A-7C.

[0015] Distribution costs also impact on the costs associated withshipping these containers. Hooking, track shipping, or automatedmaterial handling systems are several methods for storing and retrievingfilled cases. These methods are illustrated in FIGS. 8A-8D such as usinghooks to pull cases (FIG. 8A), track shipping (FIG. 8B), using a palletjack (FIG. 8C), and it should be noted that the automated materialhandling systems (FIG. 9) require large superstructures to house thecased product and are very capital intensive.

[0016] The containers are then shipped by various means in these cases.Depending on the system, the customer, and the demand, the containerswill be pulled from various storage systems by the techniquesillustrated above and loaded onto a distribution vehicle for delivery toa customer.

[0017] Depending on the type of distribution business considered,distribution expense may range from being very important to the mostimportant issue in succeeding in a business. For a distributor, foodservice, or wholesaler who manufactures no products, the warehousing anddistribution costs are likely the most crucial to the success of thebusiness. Operational efficiencies depend on excelling in these areas.As a result, warehouses and distribution methods have been designed toreturn only the industry standard pallets. Reluctantly, and withsubstantial costs, many distributors handle product in cases with hopesthat a corrugated alternative may become cost effective in the future.Smaller, more service-oriented distributors clearly recognize the valueof eliminating returnable cases as the delivery person becomes much moreefficient resulting from the elimination of non-value adding activities.

[0018] As stated above, the primary method for many customers to receiveproduct is primarily on pallets or cases stacked on the floor. Thoughother variations exist, the fundamental economics are associated withthese two methods.

[0019] Depending on the size of the customer, a typical trailer may haveone to twelve customer orders to be delivered. The orders are loaded onthe trailer in by stop sequence. A driver's typical delivery day isdescribed below. The first customer will be delivered and the productwill be taken to the cooler. Empty cases will be loaded onto pallets andwrapped with tape or shrink wrap to maintain a stable load. Thesepallets are then loaded into the back of the truck to be returned to theproduction facility at the end of the route as illustrated in FIG. 10.

[0020] The driver then departs to deliver to the next customer. One oftwo solutions occur. First, if the trailer was completely loaded suchthat there was very little room, the driver will have to unload theempty cases he just loaded at the previous stop before he can begin todeliver the next customer. Alternatively, if the trailer is partiallyfull, the driver may have sufficient room to work and may not have torotate empty cases until later stops. It should be noted that thepractice of maximizing trailer loads to the back door is the norm tominimize distribution costs. The above empty case rotation is continueduntil all product is delivered and all of the empty cases are collected.

[0021] The critical steps for case delivery are summarized below:

[0022] 1. Drive to the stop

[0023] 2. Unload product for delivery

[0024] 3. Load empty cases

[0025] 4. Drive to stop

[0026] 5. Unload empty cases

[0027] 6. Unload product for delivery

[0028] 7. Load new and old empty cases and/or rotate load

[0029] 8. Drive to stop

[0030] 9. Repeat until load is complete

[0031] It is envisioned that caseless shipping would have enormousbenefits and labor savings associated with, for example, thedistribution, the critical steps for delivery are summarized below:

[0032] 1. Drive to stop

[0033] 2. Deliver purchases material

[0034] 3. Pick up pallet(s)

[0035] 4. Drive to next stop

[0036] 5. Deliver purchased material

[0037] 6. Pick up pallet(s)

[0038] 7. Repeat until load is complete

[0039] The difference is the lack of non-value services required. As isrealized, there is no wasted time collecting empty cases or rotatingproduct and empty cases on the trucks. Other obvious savings are betterutilization of trailer loads because no space needs to be allocated forcases and route efficiencies can be enjoyed and potential for back haulscan be achieved. Also, if the trailer is not full because of timeconstraints, more time on the route will be enjoyed and more stopsplaced on the route because time will not be lost collecting emptycases.

[0040] The current mode of handling cases have a per unit distributionexpense which can be drastically reduced. Based on simple arithmetic, ithas been estimated that the improvement might be as much as 30%.

[0041] In addition to the problems associated with transporting andshipping with cases as described above, the production of the individualplastic containers widely used in the dairy industry is another arearequiring improvement, e.g. reduced production cost. A typical milkproduction facility will manufacture or purchase millions of thesecontainers per year. A cost savings of one-cent in material resin costis significant when applied to the number of containers involved. As aresult, there has been much effort in the past to minimize the materialcosts without compromising container integrity. It should be noted thatthe processing and distribution costs are much larger than the costassociated with the resin for a production facility. Thus, a need existsto produce a container with similar amounts of resin as used today(i.e., thin-walled) while eliminating cases and all of the associatedcosts described above.

[0042] Design efforts relating to containers for food have also focusedon aesthetic appeal and consumer benefits. For example, a pitcher-likeconstruction which is easy to grasp and tilt and which provides for easypourability of the contained product may be desirable from a marketingperspective. Similarly, the container should incorporate non-dripcharacteristics and eliminate or reduce the potential for “glugging”caused by a lack of venting air into the container during pouring.

[0043] It would, therefore, be desirable to provide a containerstructure which provides for stackability and which eliminates the needfor cases or shippers during bulk transport. It would be furtherdesirable to provide a container structure which provides enhancedstrength, as well as the above-mentioned consumer benefits, withoutadding to the material costs involved in its manufacture.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0044] The present invention contemplates new and improved containerswhich eliminate the need for cases or shippers and which provideincreased strength for supporting static or dynamic vertical loads,thereby facilitating stacking on pallets without the use of cases whilemaintaining costs for manufacture.

[0045] In accordance with the present invention, there is provided acontainer for a comestible product such as milk or juice that has a basewith a substantially planar region, a top surface with a substantiallyplanar surface and a pour spout, a sidewall interposed between the topsurface and the base, and a structural load distributing feature forconveying bearing loads from the substantially planar surface of the topsurface to the base.

[0046] According to another aspect of the invention, the structural loaddistributing feature is integrally molded into the sidewall of thecontainer.

[0047] According to another aspect of the invention, the structural loaddistributing feature is provided in part by a sectional wraparoundlabel.

[0048] According to another aspect of the invention, the container ismanufactured of a plastic material having a weight to volume ratio ofapproximately fifty-five to seventy grams per gallon (approximatelyeighteen to twenty-four grams per liter).

[0049] According to yet another aspect of the invention, the pour spoutis disposed adjacent an edge of the container and the center of gravityis disposed closer to the pour spout than the handle.

[0050] According to another aspect of the invention, a caseless, liquidhandling system includes plural similarly configured containers, apreselected number of containers held together as a unit with a firstflexible wrapping material, and multiple container units held in groupedand stacked array by a second flexible wrapping material.

[0051] A primary advantage of the invention resides in the cost savingsassociated with eliminating the use of cases to handle, store andtransport the containers.

[0052] Another advantage of the invention is found in the variousconsumer benefits such as a pitcher-like shape with improved pourabilitycharacteristics.

[0053] Still other advantages and benefits of the invention will becomeapparent to those skilled in the art upon a reading and understanding ofthe following detailed description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0054] The invention may take physical form in certain parts andarrangements of parts, preferred embodiments of which will be describedin detail in the specification illustrated in the accompanying drawingswhich form a part hereof, wherein:

[0055]FIGS. 1A and 1B show industry standard cases for handling milk;

[0056] FIGS. 2A-2C illustrate delivery mechanisms for shipping largenumbers of cases;

[0057]FIGS. 3 and 4 illustrate the space requirements associated withshipping via cases;

[0058]FIGS. 5A and 5B shows conventional destacking equipment forhandling the cases;

[0059]FIG. 6 represents typical case washing equipment associated withtoday's system;

[0060] FIGS. 7A-7C illustrate the filling and storage processencountered in a dairy;

[0061] FIGS. 8A-8C show three versions of handling filled cases;

[0062]FIG. 9 is a representation of an automated material handlingsystem;

[0063]FIG. 10 illustrates a trailer loaded with empty cases;

[0064]FIG. 11A is a perspective view of the first preferred embodimentand FIGS. 11B-11D are views of alternative sidewall configurations;

[0065]FIG. 12 is another perspective view of the first preferredembodiment of a container according to the present invention;

[0066]FIG. 13 is a sectional view of the container illustrated in FIGS.11 and 12;

[0067]FIG. 14 is an enlarged sectional view of the upper and lower spoutof the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 11-13;

[0068]FIG. 15 is a perspective of a grouping of four of the containersaccording to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

[0069] FIGS. 16-18 are perspective views of a second preferredembodiment;

[0070]FIG. 19 is a rear elevational view of the second preferredembodiment;

[0071]FIG. 20 is a top plan view of the second embodiment;

[0072]FIG. 21 is a side elevational view taken generally from theright-hand side of FIG. 19;

[0073]FIG. 22 is a front view of the second embodiment;

[0074]FIG. 23 is a bottom plan view of the second embodiment;

[0075]FIG. 24 is a perspective of a third preferred embodiment of thepresent invention;

[0076]FIGS. 25 and 26 are perspective views of a fourth preferredembodiment of the present invention;

[0077]FIG. 27 is a top plan view of the fourth embodiment;

[0078]FIGS. 28 and 29 are side elevational views of the fourthembodiment;

[0079]FIG. 30 is a rear elevational view of the fourth embodiment;

[0080]FIG. 31 is a front elevational view of the fourth embodiment;

[0081]FIG. 32 is a bottom plan view of the fourth embodiment;

[0082]FIG. 33 is a perspective view taken generally from the top andfront of a fifth preferred embodiment;

[0083]FIG. 34 is a perspective view of the fifth embodiment takengenerally from the bottom and rear;

[0084]FIGS. 35A and 35B are a perspective view of a sixth embodimentsimilar to the fifth embodiment;

[0085]FIG. 36 is an elevational view of a stack of containers accordingto either the fourth or fifth embodiments;

[0086] FIGS. 37A-F are elevational and plan views of a sixth preferredembodiment;

[0087]FIG. 38 is a top plan view of four containers disposed in abuttingrelation to form a first unit;

[0088]FIG. 39 is a perspective of a pouring spout according to apreferred embodiment of the invention;

[0089] FIGS. 40A-F are perspective and plan views of various insertablespouts configurations; and

[0090]FIGS. 41A and 41B are perspective views from the top, rear and thebottom, front regions of the container, respectively.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0091] Referring now to the drawings wherein the showings are for thepurpose of illustrating the preferred embodiments of the invention onlyand not for purposes of limiting the same, the Figures show the presentmanner of shipping, storage, and handling individual milk containers incases (FIGS. 1-10 described above in the Background section), and anumber of embodiments of new containers according to the presentinvention that advantageously provide a caseless shipping system (FIGS.11-40).

[0092] Referring to FIGS. 11-13, a container according to the presentinvention is designated generally by the number 50 and may be a standard(3-liter or 1 gallon) size container or any other size. Those ofordinary skill will recognize that the container structures describedherein are scalable to achieve virtually any size comprising ablow-molded plastic, although different manufacturing techniques may beused. Container 50 comprises a top surface 52, bottom 54 and a wall 56molded integrally therewith. The top surface 52 and bottom 54 are of agenerally diamond shape with an apex thereof coinciding with integrallymolded handle 58. The handle proceeds from the top surface along theapex and terminates before reaching the bottom.

[0093] The top surface 52 includes a stepped conformation having anupper surface 60 and lower level deck portion 62 which is slightlyvertically recessed from upper surface 60. An orifice 64 is formed indeck portion 62 for egress of the liquid or other material contained incontainer 50. A pouring lip 66 extends upwardly from the deck portion 62to form a pouring spout 68 which is of generally diamond shape. A foilseal 70 is provided for tamper resistance and detection as well asenhanced sealing capabilities. A snap-on cap 72 cooperates with foilseal 70 and pouring spout 68. Seal 70 and cap 72 are of a diamond shapeto simplify automation of the capping process during container filling.Orifice 64 is generally sized to permit simultaneous egress of fluid andingress of air to prevent “glugging.” A secondary function of the largeorifice 64 is that it provides for easy ingress of fluid and/or powdermixture to the container during reuse or initial filling of thecontainer. The orifice also permits the easy deployment of stirringutensils within the container. It will be appreciated that when fluid ispoured from container, fluid flows over one apex of the diamond shape ofthe spout. Cap upper surface 74 is aligned with container upper surface60 when cap 72 is snapped into place. This provides a large upperstacking surface that is substantially planar for increased stabilityand vertical load support. A finger grip ledge 76 is provided on cap 72to permit removal thereof Pouring spout 68 extends outward in adirection opposite handle 58 beyond wall 56 to form a cup guide 78,which functions to permit a cup (not shown) to be correctly oriented topermit spill-free pouring.

[0094] According to one aspect of the invention, wall 56 is formed witha number of structural load distributing or load transferring featuressuch as vertical ribs 80 which increase the sectional modulus of wall 56and prevent bending and/or buckling. Ribs 80 are preferably of a “V”shape in cross-section, with the apex of the “V” extending inward of thecontainer and are substantially continuous along the longitudinal heightof the container (see FIGS. 11-13). This structure permits theconstruction of manufacturing molds without the presence of undercuts,which are inefficient from a manufacturing standpoint. Preferably,vertical ribs 80 are incorporated into vertical surfaces of wall 56 inan effort to reduce the unbraced length of the wall and limitdeflections. For example, walls may otherwise be subject to buckling orcrimping as a result of vertical loads or forces while bulging may beassociated with hydrostatic forces. Thus, those wall regions which aretaller than four inches in a three liter container, for example, wouldbenefit from a change in the section modulus to limit deflections. Thisstructure will provide the container with the rigidity required forsupporting and transferring the load from one container to another in astacked relation—which the prior milk containers described in theBackground were unable to achieve.

[0095] A sectional wraparound label (not shown) may be incorporated toadd further strength and structural integrity. For example, thewraparound label can be used to purposely add a preload to the containerand limit the deflections. Alternatively, the structural loaddistributing feature may be a series of diagonal reinforcements (FIG.11B), offset ribs (FIG. 11C), dimples (FIG. 11D), or combination ofthese features that are effective in transferring forces from the topsurface to the bottom of the container. These are preferred alternativeways to change the section modulus and transfer vertical forces throughthe container. The handle, since it extends from the substantiallyplanar top surface of the container, is also an important element in theload bearing arrangement.

[0096] Handle 58 is formed integrally with the container 50. One end ofhandle 58 extends from upper surface 60 of the container to provideadditional support thereto. An opposite or lower end of handle 58extends or merges into wall 56. A finger clearance hole 82 (FIG. 13)provides comfort for a large range of hand sizes of consumers. Thefinger receiving region is thus disposed adjacent the handle andpreferably terminates before reaching the base of the container. Handle58 extends in a direction that is directly opposite the apex of pouringspout 68 to provide self-centering of the spout. The construction of thehandle also functions in the handling of contained arrayed into groupsor container units as will be further explained below.

[0097] Container bottom 54 is provided with a pouring radius 84 whichextends into wall 56. Pouring radius 84 is constructed to permitpivoting of the container on a support surface when pouring withoutlifting is desired. This aspect of the invention is especiallybeneficial to users, i.e., children or senior citizens, who haverelatively little strength or are physically challenged. Containerbottom 54 is formed with a lower surface 86 which is slightly concave(FIG. 12) when the container is empty, but which flattens out when thecontainer is filled with liquid such as milk or fruit juice to form agenerally horizontal surface. As will be appreciated, lower surface 86,together with the upper surface 60 of an adjacent container (not shown),cooperate such that vertical loads are evenly distributed among andacross the container surfaces. As shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, wall 56extends to a slight recess 87 at container bottom 54.

[0098]FIG. 14 is a sectional view of the pouring spout 68 according tothe present invention. Pouring lip 66 includes a pouring edge 90 thatcurves sharply downward at its extremity to create an anti-drip spout.Edge 90 is displaced outward slightly from the outermost surface oflower pour spout 92. This configuration prevents liquid from runningdown the front of container 50. Cup guide 78 extends downward and inwardfrom lower pour spout 92 to facilitate proper orientation of the pourspout relative to a cup.

[0099]FIG. 15 illustrates a grouping of four containers 50 according toa preferred embodiment of the invention. It will be recognized that twoadjacent containers are disposed with their respective handles 58adjacent one another to form a combined carrying handle 96. On anopposite side of the container grouping, two more handles 58 aresimilarly situated to from a second combined handle when arrayed in thisfashion. Two carrying handles 96, each comprising a pair of adjacentcontainer handles 58 are provided on opposite sides of the grouping topermit easy handling thereof. Of course, other numbers of containers(e.g., six containers which may be preferred for brick-like stacking ona pallet) can be grouped together to form a unit and the handlesoriented in a different manner such as at the corners of the group unit.

[0100] The four to six containers comprising the grouping unit are heldtogether with a first flexible material, preferably a shrink wrapthermoplastic 98. As can be seen in FIG. 15, a large combined uppersupport surface 100 is provided by the respective upper surfaces 60 ofthe containers 50. The first flexible material holds the individualcontainers in a desired orientation that is stable and capable of beingpositioned into a layer of units that define a first level of a stackedarray.

[0101] Each of the containers in the grouping shown in FIG. 15 areprovided with a flip top 110 which may be hinged to the container 50using suitable means. Flip top 110 may be equipped with a recess orprojection for engaging the pouring spout (not shown in FIG. 15). Itwill be recognized that the flip top 110 provides an extension of thetop surface 60 such that a load imposes on the top surface of thecontainer grouping is more evenly distributed and supported by asubstantially planar surface.

[0102] FIGS. 16-23 show a second preferred embodiment of the inventionthat has many similarities to the embodiment described above inconjunction with FIGS. 11-15. Accordingly, the differences will beemphasized here and identified by new numerals. For example, at leastone of the structural load distributing ribs or flutes is a continuousflute 112 that proceeds through the substantially planar surface of thetop surface and down opposite sides of the container toward the base.Preferably this flute is situated between the pour spout and the handle.In addition, the top surface is modified to have a slight arch 114thereto which is effective in transferring the forces from the topsurface to the base. Additional flutes or ribs 116 are also provided inthe top surface in the arch region and terminate in the upper portion ofthe container. The pour spout area is also modified, eliminating theflip top (FIG. 15) and the diamond-shaped cap (FIG. 11A), with a moreconventional replaceable push on, screw-off type cap 118, also known asa snap cap. As is evident, however, the screw-on cap is located so thatit can serve as a part of the top surface (FIG. 22), particularly thesubstantially planar surface, for transferring loads from containersstacked on top thereof FIG. 18 illustrates that the bottom or base ofthe container is also modified relative to that shown in FIG. 12. Itstill serves, however, to define a substantially planar surface 120 thattransfers loads to a next adjacent layer of containers, a pallet, or thelike.

[0103]FIG. 24 illustrates a container 130 according to another preferredembodiment of the invention. Container 130 is shown in a verticalorientation with a spout 132 and cap 134 its top 136. Container 130includes a stacking wall 138 which permits the container to be stackedin a horizontal orientation. That is, container 130 will be laid on itsside in during shipping and warehouse storage. Stacking wall 138 isprovided with protrusions 140 and depressions 142 which permit stackingof the containers in a brick-like fashion. It will be appreciated that asimilar stacking wall is provided on the container opposite theillustrated one but is hidden from view in FIG. 24. The protrusions arereceived in the depressions and provide a horizontal stability to thestacked assembly. This embodiment incorporates a large recessed handle144 which may or may not include a finger hole (not shown). In thisembodiment, ribs are not provided owing to the shallow construction ofthe container when it is laid on its stacking wall 138 since only shortside walls 146 are present, ribs or flutes are not needed to provide therequired structural rigidity and stability. A pouring radius 148 is alsoprovided near the bottom 150 of container. This construction isadvantageous for containing and dispensing food products that are notliquid in form.

[0104] FIGS. 25-32 illustrate yet another preferred embodiment that issubstantially identical to that described with reference to FIG. 24.Accordingly like numerals will refer to like elements and new numeralswill identify new elements. The most noticeable addition are thestructural load distributing features comprising a series of verticallyspaced horizontal ribs or flutes 160 that transfer loads when thecontainers are stacked one on top of another. In this particularembodiment, the ribs are circumferentially continuous and generallyequi-spaced along the container, although it will be appreciated thatother arrangements may be used without departing from the scope andintent of the subject invention. Moreover, the curved wall 162 justbeneath the spout is more apparent in this embodiment to facilitatereceipt over the lip of a cup (not shown). The handle is againintegrally formed with the remainder of the container and forms a fingerreceiving opening 164 in the container. Features such as the radius 148,the curved wall 162, and an enlarged spout that provides an anti-glugfunction as well as a no-drip function are desirable consumer orientedattributes.

[0105] A fifth preferred embodiment is shown in FIGS. 33 and 34. Likethe sixth embodiment of FIGS. 35A and 35B, and a related embodiment ofFIGS. 37A-F, this container is intended to transport larger amounts ofmilk or fruit juice while taking advantages of the caseless containerconcept described above and hereafter. These embodiments utilize acontainer structure that is in the form of a rectangular prism,generally referenced by the numeral 200. The container is formed of twoside portions 202, which are formed integrally with a center section204. The side sections 202 and center section 204 comprise a fluidcontaining volume for containing liquid therein. Handle 218 is formedintegrally connecting side sections 202. Center section 204 is formedwith a recess 208 for housing a pivotable spigot or tube 206. The spigotis pivotably connected to the container in a known manner. Side walls212 of the container are formed with a number of rib elements 210 forstructural reinforcement thereof. The ribs 210 also improve the stackingcharacteristics of the container as will be explained below. In theembodiment of FIGS. 33 and 34, additional ribs 216 are provided alongthe center section and are oriented in the opposite direction from theribs 210, i.e. in the vertical direction along the sidewalls and in ahorizontal direction along the upper and lower walls. Moreover, FIGS.35A and 35B demonstrates how the protrusion and depression feature mayalso be incorporated into the larger containers to aid in stacking in abrick-like fashion (FIG. 36). It will also be understood that a shrinkwrap may be used with this embodiment for holding the spigot in placeand for purposes of cleanliness.

[0106]FIG. 36 shows a stacking arrangement for these types ofcontainers. The dimensions of the rectangular prism 200 are selectedsuch that the height of the container is preferably twice the width anddepth of the container. This construction lends itself to the stackingarrangement illustrated in FIG. 36. Containers A, B, and C in FIG. 36are laid along their sides 210. Not shown in FIG. 36 are three (3) othercontainers which are beneath containers A, B, and C and also laid alongtheir sides 210. Containers D and E are oriented such that they standupright with handles 218 oriented on top of a container. The stackingconcept illustrated in FIG. 36 thus permits a compact grouping unit ofeight containers which may be held together using a flexible wrappingmaterial such as a shrink wrap thermoplastic as was explained above. Itwill be recognized that handles 218 are oriented to permit easy carryingof the grouping unit illustrated in FIG. 36. It will also be recognizedthat those containers B and C, and the containers disposed beneath them(not shown), will be oriented such that their respective handles aredisplayed or oriented outward of the unit grouping and, thus, willprovide additional handles for carrying or lifting the unit illustrated.

[0107]FIG. 38 is a plan view similar to FIG. 15 that illustrates how agroup of containers can be grouped together in a unit and the handlesadvantageously situated to aid in lifting or transporting the containersas a unit. For example, as disclosed in FIG. 15 the first flexiblewrapping material only extends about the lower portion of the abuttingcontainers. This leaves access to the handles so that the containers canbe easily manipulated as a unit. In FIG. 38, the handles will be locatedat each corner of the arrayed containers and the pouring spouts aregrouped at the center of the unit. Of course, different numbers ofcontainers and different orientations can be used for different purposesand without departing from the scope and intent of the invention.

[0108]FIG. 39 illustrates a pouring spout according to another preferredembodiment of the present invention. Like the embodiment shown in FIG.1, this embodiment incorporates a deck portion 222 on which is located apouring lip 226 extending upward therefrom. Lip 226 forms a pouringspout 228. In this embodiment, a pouring guard 260 is provided on thepouring spout. Guard 226 is provided with a narrow diamond-shapedaperture 262 which permits egress of the liquid or other materialcontained in the container. Guard 260 provides for a more narrow streamof liquid than would be provided by pouring spout 228 alone.

[0109] FIGS. 40A-F illustrate a variety of removable pouring insertsthat may be incorporated into the pour spout. FIGS. 40A and 40B show akey-shaped opening 270 and a vent or anti-glug opening 272 diametricallyopposite therefrom. A droplet-shaped opening 274 is embodied in FIGS.40C and 40D while a generally U-shaped opening 276 is incorporated intothe embodiment of FIGS. 40E and 40F. In each, the generally planarsurface 278 has a taper that allows any liquid that is spilled over theedge of the pour opening to drain into the vent opening when thecontainer is oriented in its upright, vertical position. The removablenature of the pouring inserts allows the consumer to remove the insertand refill the container, if desired.

[0110]FIGS. 41A and 41B illustrate yet a further embodiment which findsapplication in larger containers such as two and one-half, three, andfive gallon sizes. It includes a vent cap 280 located adjacent the topsurface and ribs 282 in the sidewall for load transfer to the bottomsurface. As best illustrated in FIG. 41B, a dispensing nozzle 284receives one end of a dispensing tube 286 and the other end of the tubeis frictionally engaged by a tube holddown 288 defined by offset flanges290 that extend from the front wall of the container. The bottom surfacealso preferably includes a slight taper from the domed feet 292 towardthe dispensing nozzle to aid in dispensing product from the container.

[0111] A differently configured container having a large, wide top andbottom surface to distribute the stacking load along the structurallydesirable locations such as the cap and handle may be developed usingthe features and attributes of the invention. Structural ribs that runperpendicular to the parting line can be placed at critical locationsalong the horizontal, top surface to resist vertical, plasticdeformation and bending. The vent tube, cap and large, structural handlewere designed to handle the load in parallel to the parting line. Thetop and bottom surfaces have been designed to nest in a manner to allowstress from static and dynamic loads to be distributed to the sidewalls.

[0112] Vertical surfaces are provided with molded, structural ribs toprovide an increased section modulus along the member and provideimproved resistance to bending moments, deflections and buckling than isavailable in the presently used milk container. The ribs also act ascolumns to distribute loads from the top of the container to the bottomof the container. The ribs may be molded to have a “V” or fluted shapedcross-section to permit the use of molds without undercuts therein.Structural tests conclude that the stress is transmitted through thefootprint of the above case through the desired crown and down the sidesof the container.

[0113] A structural label may also be used to add strength to thecontainer. The structure may operate as a pressure vessel and/or astatic structure to support loads typically experienced during shippingand distribution. Cap and foil seals may be in incorporated to resistleakage and maintain internal pressures. The containers will beshrink-wrapped in cases of four, six, or other appropriate number, forexample, which provides structural support and a unitized method forhandling groups of containers through a distribution network.Thereafter, the units are arrayed and stacked into larger handlinggroups such as on a pallet and wrapped by a second flexible member, e.g.another plastic wrapping material, to form a larger shipping ortransport group that can be handled in the same general manner as stacksof cases. The containers can be stacked five or six high—just as thecases are presently stacked—because of the ability to transfer loadseffectively thorough the container without cases. The overall cost ofmanufacturing, cleaning, handling, storage, etc. of cases as describedabove is eliminated.

[0114] Structural tests indicate that the shrink-wrapped cases have adecrease in the column deflections by a factor of three. The containerswere dynamically tested on a vibratory table to stimulate the dynamicsituation which occurs during handling and truck transport. Pallets areusually handled with motorized fork trucks which load the trucks.Vibration testing was conducted on fork truck and trucks in transport.These results were utilized in the dynamic laboratory testing. It wasobserved that the columnar effect that is developed in the palletconfiguration allow the degrees of freedom similar to a building duringan earthquake. These degrees of freedom allow the pallet to act as aunit; yet flex and move under loading to prevent detrimental stressconcentrations which can negatively impact the structural integrity ofthe cases and containers.

[0115] A diamond shaped pouring spout may be included and is of a largeenough dimension to permit venting back into the container to prevent“glugging” and to prevent dripping. A front surface of the container maybe formed to include a large radius aligned with the spout to permit arocking action which allows the container to be tilted easily withoutlifting from the support surface. The spout may be formed with a recessthereunder for placing a glass or cup and to minimize spills.

[0116] The group of stacked containers is then broken down into theindividual units by removing the second wrapping material. To aid in itsremoval, the second flexible material may incorporate a tear strip orthe like into the material to allow easy removal of the plasticwrapping.

[0117] The invention has been described with reference to the preferredembodiments. Obviously, modifications and alterations will be apparentto those of ordinary skill upon a reading and understanding of thespecification. For example, the preferred material of construction is afood grade plastic such as a high density polyethylene (HDPE) althoughalternative materials that comprise a plastic, at least in part, couldbe used. The invention is intended to include all such modifications andalterations.

Having thus described the invention, it is now claimed:
 1. A containerused in caseless shipping of a product, such as milk or juice, thecontainer comprising: a base having a substantially planar region; a topsurface having a substantially planar region parallel to thesubstantially planar region of the base and having a pour spout formedtherein; a sidewall integrally formed with and extending between thebase and top surface, the sidewall enclosing an internal cavity incommunication with the pour spout; and a handle extending from thesidewall and defining a finger receiving region, the handle interposedbetween the base and top surface and integrally formed with the base,top surface, and sidewall.
 2. The container of claim 1 furthercomprising a structural load distributing feature formed therein forconveying bearing loads from the top surface to the base.
 3. Thecontainer of claim 2 wherein the structural load distributing featureincludes at least one rib formed in the sidewall and extending betweenthe top surface and the base.
 4. The container of claim 3 wherein thestructural load distributing feature extends in a continuous fashionalong the planar region of the top surface and the sidewall.
 5. Thecontainer of claim 4 wherein the structural load distributing feature isdisposed between the pour spout and the handle.
 6. The container ofclaim 1 wherein the sidewall includes a series of sidewalls and selectedones of the sidewalls include substantially planar regions for abuttingagainst substantially planar regions of sidewalls of like containers. 7.The container of claim 1 further comprising a rounded region along anedge portion of the base beneath the pour spout to facilitate pouring.8. The container of claim 1 further comprising a structural loaddistributing feature formed therein for conveying bearing loads from thetop surface to the base, the handle extending downwardly from the topsurface toward the base and the structural load distributing featuresubstantially aligned with the handle for transferring loads from thehandle to the base.
 9. The container of claim 1 further comprising aresealable lid operatively associated with the pour spout.
 10. Thecontainer of claim 1 wherein the container is a thin-walled plasticmaterial.
 11. The container of claim 10 wherein the container has aweight to volume ratio of approximately 55 to 70 grams per gallon(approximately 18 to 24 grams per liter).
 12. The container of claim 1wherein the pour spout includes an air opening disposed in spacedrelation to a pour opening.
 13. The container of claim 1 wherein thecenter of gravity of the container is disposed closer to the pour spoutthan to the handle to facilitate pouring of liquid from the container.14. The container of claim 1 wherein the pour spout is disposed oppositethe handle adjacent an edge of the container.
 15. The container of claim1 wherein the container is formed at least in part of plastic.
 16. Ahandling system comprising: plural similarly configured containers, eachincluding a substantially planar top surface, a substantially planarbase and a sidewall interconnecting the top surface and the base; apreselected number of containers being disposed in contiguousrelationship and held together as a unit with a first flexible wrappingmaterial; and container units being grouped together and stacked on topof one another for transport, the container units being held in groupedand stacked array by a second flexible wrapping material.
 17. Thehandling system of claim 16 wherein the containers each include a handledefining a finger receiving region.
 18. The handling system of claim 17wherein at least two handles of contiguous containers are disposedadjacent one another to facilitate handling of the unit of containers.19. The handling system of claim 17 wherein the handles are disposed atouter corner regions of the unit to facilitate handling thereof.
 20. Thehandling system of claim 16 wherein the containers hold a liquid. 21.The handling system of claim 16 wherein each container is formed atleast in part of a thin walled plastic material.
 22. The handling systemof claim 16 wherein the sidewall includes plural sidewalls.
 23. Thesystem of claim 16 wherein at least one of the sidewalls of eachcontainer includes a structural load distributing feature formed thereinand extending between the top surface and base for adding strengththereto for stacking purposes.
 24. The system of claim 16 furthercomprising a tear strip associated with the second wrapping material forselectively separating the container units from the grouped and stackedarray.
 25. The container system of claim 16 wherein each containerincludes a pour spout disposed opposite the handle and adjacent thejuncture of contiguous sidewalls, the containers that form a unitarranged so that the pour spouts are disposed inwardly of the group ofcontainers and the handles of each container are disposed along aperiphery of the unit.
 26. The container system of claim 16 wherein theunits of containers are stacked at least five levels high.
 27. Thecontainer of claim 16 further comprising wherein the units of containersare oriented in different arrays along each level.